The Executor is the person nominated in a Will who is legally obligated to bring a Will to the appropriate county Probate Court, along with the proper Georgia Probate Court Standard Form, then, upon receiving Letters Testamentary from the Probate Judge, "administer" the estate.  The Executor marshals the assets, pays the debts, transfers real and personal property, and finalizes distribution of estate assets.

The Testator is the person who is transferring property through a Last Will & Testament; the "author," so to speak.

Intestate (literally, "in-" or "not" testate) means that there is no "testament" as in the Testator never published a "Last Will & Testament."  An intestate estate is subject to the Georgia Rules of Descent and Distribution.

Without a Will, Georgia law directs that a person's real and personal property pass.  People are often shocked at the persons to whom property passes in an intestate estate.  Click here for detailed information on the Georgia Rules of Descent and Distribution.

Found primarily with financial investment instruments, TODs are beneficiary designations dictating to whom a particular financial instrument is "transferred" upon the owner's death.  The transfer occurs outside of your "probate estate" and will generally take place regardless of whether you have a Last Will and Testament or whether your Last Will and Testament is ever presented to the Probate Court.

Found normally with checking and savings accounts, a POD designation is a way to ensure that a particular person or persons receive the funds in a particular account upon your death.  The transfer occurs outside of your "probate estate" and will generally take place regardless of whether you have a Last Will and Testament or whether your Last Will and Testament is ever presented to the Probate Court.